Polarized relay



July 30, 1929. F. c. HOLTZ POLARIZED RELAY Filed Aug. 30, 1924 o w m'm C. Jam

" Patented July 30, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

comm, OF SPRINGFIELD,

ILLINOIS, A, CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

IOLARIZED RELAY.

Application filed August 80, 1924. Serial No. 785,179.

Some types of polarized relays operate upon the prmciple that current of one sign established. in an electrical circuit which includes the relay causes a movable member 6 thereof to operate in one direction, while a reversal in sign of the current flow causes such member to move in the reverse direction. Other types of polarized relays comprise rotatable members arranged to make a portion of a complete revolution in a given direction for each reversal in sign of the current flow. Both types have heretofore been limited to the use of direct current, and the object of my invention is to provide an improved construction by which relays of either of the above mentioned types may be adapted for use in either direct or alternating current circuits. This object I accomhsh as illustrated 'n the drawings and as hereinafter described. What I regard as new is set forth in the claims.

In the drawings,- Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic view showing improvements embodied in a polarized 2 relay of the rocking or oscillating type, to-

gether with its electrical connections; a Fig. 2 is aside elevation of the princ pal parts shown in Fig. 1;

Figs. 3 and 4 are diagrams explanatory of the operation of my improved relay;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view illustrating my improvements embodied in a polarized relay of the'rotating type, withan indicator associated therewith; and

Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic view construction of the relay illustrated in Fig.

Referring first to the structure shown in Figs. 1 and :electromagnet composed of a plurality of O-shaped laminations 7 riveted together forming an upper or vertical pole 8, and a lower or horizontal pole 9. The latter pole is provided with a cross-bar 10 at its ex 4 tremity, and secured to said cross-bar, preferably by set screws 11, is a U-shaped core -12 havin upwardly extending poles 13, 14 egually istant from and "at opposite sides 0 the pole 8, butlying in the same transverse vertical plane therewith, as shown in Fig. 2. By this arrangement the; tip 15 of the pole 8 is placed midway between the tips showing the 2, 6 indicates the core of an- 16, 17 of the poles 13, 14 and separated therefrom by an air gap 18.

* Mounted on the pole tip 15 by means of a small bracket 19 secured thereto in anysuitable way, is a soft iron armature 20 in the form of a flat bar pivotally mounted between its ends on a pivot 21 supported by said bracket. As best shown in Fig. 1, the ends of the armature 20 extend over the ends of the pole tips 16, 17, so that by the rocking of said armature either end thereof may, move into contact with the underlying pole tip 16 or 17 as the case may be. In the opposite end portions of said armature are mounted small brass pins 22, 23 which are adapted to strike the 'pole tips 16, 17, res ectively, to kee the armature itself dam :oming 'into irect contact with said pole ips. Mounted on the pole 8 in any suitable way is a coil 24, the terminals 25, 26 of which are connected to wires 27,28 representing an alternating current supply.

On the poles 13, 14 are mounted coils 29, 30, preferabl of turns, an S0 arranged, that t eir magnetic efiects relative to the laminations of the core 12 are cumulative, that is to say, for a given direction of current flow through these coils the fluxes thereof both flow 1n the same direction in the core. The terminals 31, 32' of the coils 29, 30 are suitably arranged to be connected to the alternating current supplly.27, 28 through a reversing switch 33, s own diagrammatically in Fig. 1, so that, their si of connection may be reversed as desire of course, that instead of the reversing switch/any other suitable arrangement for reversal may be employed. The electrical circuits of the coil 24 and the coils 29, 30 are so arranged that when both circuits are connected to the supply wires 27 28 the instantaneous value of current in each circuit is either in phase-or in phase 0 position, depending upon the position 0 the reversing switch. Referring now to Fig. 3, the ordinatesof the curve A represent the instantaneous values of the magnetic the coil 24. With the armature 20 held in its neutral position, shown in Fig. 1, it

composed of a lar e number It will be understood,

flux resulting from the current established in should be clear that this magnetic flux dipole tips 16 or 17,

20 due to these 'ing in the total I ture 20, and a corresponding increase in that vides in such a way that a part of it passes along the armature 20 toward the pole tip 17, while the remainder enters the laminations of the core 12 by way of the pole tip 16. With current established in the windings 29, 30, as already stated, the instantaneous flux in the gap 18 and the armature coils may be shown by the curve B in Fig. 3. The interaction of these two fluxes will cause a considerable weaken flux at one end of the armaat the other end thereof, with the result that the armature will tend at once to pull down at the end showing an increase in the flux. When the instantaneous flux values from both currents'are both positive or both negative, the armature 20 will remain stationary with one or the other of its extremities in contact with one or the other of the and this position will not be disturbed by momentary interruptions of the current flowing through the coils 29, 30. reversal in the position of the reversing switch 33, however, reverses the sign of the current flowing through said coils with refrela erence to the current flowing through the coil 24, and as a result the magnetic flux in the laminations of thecore 12 reverses its direction, as indicated by the dotted line C in Fig. 3. 's reversal causes the armature 20 to rock so .as to assume a reversed position, which'it will maintain so long as the sign of the current is not again chan ed. The device,

or a polarity indicator, and can'be use as a counting device by suitably connecting the armature 20 mechanism so that each reversal off the reversing. switch will step the counting mechanism forward by one unit. The same arrangement may also be used as a' cycle counter or electrical timer by suitably altering the constants of the electrical circuits of the coil 24 so that the instantaneous value of current is in quadrature with the current fio in coils29, 30. The mode of operation undhr this assumption is shown in Fig. 4, in which curves A and B indicate the instantaneous values of the flux in each of the magnetic circuits. For each condition where the instantaneous values of flux are in the same direction, the armature 20 takes up one position, while for values of reversed sign the armature takes the reversed position. From the illustration in said figure it will he noted that the reversal takes place at twice the frequenc of the supply, that is, there is on comp ete reversal for each half cycle.

is not limited in its rangement. above described, and by way of example, 1n Figs. and 6 I have illustrated provided with a worm therefore, constitutes a polarized to a proper gear weaves another embodiment thereof in which a Z-shaped armature 34 is mounted on a shaft 35 to rotate directly in front of two soft iron pole pieces 36, 37- which are connected respectively to soft iron cores 38, 39. Said cores carry two windings consisting of two sets of coils'40, 41 and 42, 43, respectively. The coils 40, 41 of one set are connected in series to the source of supply of current, and their sense of winding is suchv as to create at the tips of the pole pieces 36, 37 poles of like polarity, the magnetic circuit for each being completed through the Z- shaped armature 34, the shaft 35 thereof, and a soft iron pole end of said shaft is ournaled. The alternating current traversing the winding 1 may be regarded as the polarizing current for the device.- It will be understood that the pole piece 44 is connected to the cores 38, 39. In the illustration of Fig. 5 the armature shaft 35 is shown as being 45 which drives a worm wheel .46 mounted on a shaft 47 that carries a pointer 48 operating over a dial 49 provided with a scale 50. This arrangement is shown merely as an illustration of/one way in which the device may be connected up for use as an indicator. As shown in Fig. 6, the coils 42, 43 are connected in series, and are wound in a reverse sense so that they tend to create at the tips of the pole pieces 36, 37 poles of opposite polarity. These coils areconnected to the same source of supply as the coils 40, 41, and carry current of the same frequency and phase, which latter current may garded as the operating current of the device. Under such conditions the magnetic fiux from the poles 36, 37 is always unbalanced, and there is a strong tendency to hold the armature 34 in a somewhat as shown in Fig. 5. Upon reversing the sign of the operating current in the coils 42, 43 the armature is carried a quarter revolution in a counter-clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 5. It will be clear that for each reversal ,ofcurrent in the. coils 42, 43 the armature will make one quarter revolution in the direction indicated. p p

While both forms of the apparatus de scribed are similar in structure to those used in directtcurrent circuits, there remains one be refixed position,

fundamental" difference Alternating curg two sets of windings are in phase or in It Will be understood that my invention application to the ar erate as polarized relays from adirect ourrent source-of supply, this being merely a special case of the alternating current.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1, A relacomprising a movable member,

and two e ectrical circuits and associated magnetic circuits, including pole pieces operatively disposed relatively to said movable member, each of said electrical circuits being traversed by only one alternating current, the individual currents of both circuits being of the same frequency and of such relative phase that upon each reversal of sign of the current flow in one of said electrical circuits said movable member is actuated.

2. A relay comprising a movable member, two electrical circuits and associated magnetic circuits, including pole pieces operatively disposed relatively to said movable member, each of said electrical circuits being traversed by only one alternating current, the individual currents of both circuits being of the same frequency and of such relative phase that upon each reversal of sign of the current flow in one of said electrical cir cuits said movable member is actuated, and means for reversing the current flow in one of said electrical circuits independently of the other.

3. A relay comprising a movable member, and two electrical circuits and associated magnetic circuits, including pole pieces operatively disposed relatively to said movable member, each of said electrical circuits being traversed solely by a single alternating current, the individual currents of both circuits being of the same, frequency and of substantially the same phase so that for one direction of current flow in .said electrical circuits said movable member takes up one position, while on reversal of the flow of current in one of said electrical circuits said movable member takes up a different position.

4. In a device of the class described, the combination of a magnet structure, alternating current circuit connections for an operating current and a polarizing current, separate windings an said magnet structure, each traversed by onl one of said. currents, and a movable mem er responsive to the flux in said magnet structure, said operating and polarizing currents being of the same frequency and of such relative phase that upon each reversal of sign of said operating current said movable member is actuated.

'5. Ina device of the class described, the combination of a magnet structure, two windings on said magnet structure. traversed by individual alternating currents, and a rotating armature responsive to the flux in said magnet structure, said currents being of the samefrequency and of such relative phase that upon each reversal of sign of the current flow in one of said windings said rotatable armature is actuated.

6. In a device of the class described, the combination of a magnet structure comprising a pair of cores, poles on said cores, two windings on said cores traversed respectively by alternating currents of the same frequency, and a rotating armature disposed in proximity to said poles and adapted to be actuated upon each reversal of sign of the current flow in one of said windings. I

7. In a deviceof the class described, the combination of a magnet structure comprising a pair ofcores magnetically connected together at one end, poles at the other ends of said cores, two windings on said cores each traversed by an individual alternating current, a rotating armature disposed in proximity to said poles, said alternating currents being of the same frequency and of such relative phase that upon each reversal of sign of the current flow in one of said windings said armature is actuated, and means for reversing the current flow in one of said windings independently of the other.

8. In a device of the class described, the combination of a magnet structure comprising 'two cores magnetically connected together at one end, poles at the other ends of said cores, two windings on said cores trav ersed by alternating currents of the same frequency, a rotating armature disposed in proximity to said poles and adapted to be actuated upon each reversal of sign of the current flow is one of said windings, and a shaft on which the armature is mounted, said armature and shaft forming a part of the magnetic circuit of said cores.

9. In a rela of the class described, the combination 0 a pair of cores, a supporting member magnetically connecting said cores together at one en poles at the other ends of said cores, two \windings on said cores traversed respectively by individual alternating currents, a shaft rotatably supported by said supporting member, and an armature mounted on said shaft in proximity to said poles, said alternating currents being of the same frequency and of such relative phase that upon each reversal of sign of the cur- "rent flow in one of said windings said armature is rotatively advanced.

10. In a device of the class described, the combination of a magnet structure comprising a pair of poles, two windings on said magnet structure traversed by two alternating currents, and a rotating armature of approximately 2 shape disposed in proximity to said poles and adapted to be rotatively advanced upon each reversal of sign of the current flow in one of said windings.

FREDERICK C. HOLTZ. 

